Create a Slack Bot
& Add It to Your Workspace

A step-by-step visual guide — no coding required

1

Go to Slack API Website

Open the Slack API portal in your browser. Make sure you're signed in to the Slack workspace where you want to add the bot.

https://api.slack.com/apps
Your Apps
Create New App

Your Slack apps will appear here...

Click "Create New App" in the top-right corner to get started.
2

Create a New App

Choose "From scratch" when asked how to create your app. Then enter a name and pick which workspace to add it to.

api.slack.com/apps

Create an app

📝
From scratch
Set up manually
📋
From a manifest
Use a JSON/YAML config
My Awesome Bot
M
My Workspace
Create App
Choose "From scratch" for the simplest setup. You can always add more features later.
3

Set Up Bot Permissions (Scopes)

Go to "OAuth & Permissions" in the left sidebar. Scroll down to "Bot Token Scopes" and add the permissions your bot needs.

api.slack.com/apps/[your-app]/oauth
Settings
Basic Information
OAuth & Permissions
Features
App Home
Event Subscriptions
Slash Commands

Bot Token Scopes

Scopes define what your bot can do in channels and conversations.

✓
chat:write
✓
channels:read
✓
channels:history
✓
im:read
Add an OAuth Scope
Common scopes: chat:write (send messages), channels:read (see channel list), channels:history (read messages). Only add what you need.
4

Install the App to Your Workspace

Scroll back up to the top of the "OAuth & Permissions" page and click "Install to Workspace". Slack will ask you to confirm the permissions.

api.slack.com/apps/[your-app]/oauth
🤖

My Awesome Bot is requesting permission to access the My Workspace Slack workspace

My Awesome Bot will be able to:
• Send messages to channels
• View basic channel info
• View messages in channels
Allow
After installing, you'll get a Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-). This is your bot's key — never share it publicly.
xoxb-YOUR-BOT-TOKEN-HERE
5

Customize Your Bot (Optional)

Go to "App Home" in the sidebar to set your bot's display name and profile picture. You can also enable the Messages tab for direct messages.

api.slack.com/apps/[your-app]/app-home
Settings
Basic Information
OAuth & Permissions
Features
App Home

Your App's Presence in Slack

My Awesome Bot
my-awesome-bot

Show Tabs

Messages Tab
Allow users to send your bot DMs
Home Tab
Show a custom home page for your bot
Enable the Messages Tab if you want users to be able to chat directly with your bot.
6

Add the Bot to a Channel

In Slack, go to the channel where you want the bot. Type /invite @YourBotName or click the channel settings and add the bot as a member.

app.slack.com
Channels
# general
# random
# project-x
Apps
🤖 My Awesome Bot

# general

Y
You 12:05 PM
/invite @My Awesome Bot
S
Slackbot 12:05 PM
✅ My Awesome Bot has been added to #general
🎉

Bot Added Successfully!

Your bot is now in the channel. It can send and read messages based on the permissions you set up (once you connect it to bot code).

You can also add the bot by going to Channel Settings → Integrations → Add Apps and searching for your bot's name.

Created with care — Happy bot building! 🤖